The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-28
Personal Experiences.

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and Of whom NJ record was kept.
Personal Experiences.
The Paris correspondent OF the New
York Herald telegraphed the folio sing
personal experiences:
CHARLES A. DUVIVIER, NEW YORK,
was with his son. He sives graphic &C
count of his escape. He sa d: 1--WE arrived
early and secured stalls. We sat thr ,ush
the little operetta, lie Chalet that pre-
coded 'MignOn. When the curtsin 70 g,
after Long wait, the first act of the ofera
moved off brightly and cheerily. Toward
the end Of the act we noticed pieces Of bum
ing canvas falling from he flies. We con
cluded the safest thing was to get out as
we were passing along the aisle, Taskin,
Handlng amid the srarks, beseeched the
audience to remain sosted His courage was
magnificent, but his judgment y as faulty.
When my son and | Ieached the foyer be
stage was mass Of hsmes, and sore ans be-
house began to fiji with smoke. We
did not wait for our coats.
saw, nobody descending the stairway leading
TO the galleries, and | believe the jam had
ALREADY occurred thereon. / believe, every
body IN the ,Tarterre ESCAPED alive, though
many were badly bTu ed, but ] am tqudiy
sure many people sutocated in the galleries
The scenes outs'de were pitiful IN the tx-
treme., Friends and relatives were separat-
cd in the mad crush. Ladies wearing ele
CANT evenin, toilets were irsntically beggi
me II emen and Onlsokers to save their rel
atlVes and friends. when we saw we could
rot Iender further nssis auos We cane TO the
Hotel de Lath snee."
W. j. AYRES, NEW YORK,
had lucky escape. He, with his wife and
daughter and n. f. Butler, occupied tire
third brx from the stage on the left de- lie
was greatly disappointed at being compelled
TO take this box, len was the only one OBJ.
1I01lADle. m IN ba Inc
chase. Miss Ayres noticed the actress look
ing up. Then the other &C ors glanced up
ware in ey deaf alarm, What seemed to be
looking up saw that the flies were already a
mass Of fame and sIraug to his feet ready TO
take his family out, but the actors adj ,anced
20 the iront OF the stage ana asked the au-
disnce to be calm, "a there was no danger.
Mr.. Ayres says he AID the ole audience
were perfectly quiet tor I 20 minutes. losing
most precious time. Then an air draught
carried sheet # fame downward from
the flies, curling over and out into
the thea err like u liquid caFcade of
fire with descel ding rain, burning the cln-
yvas' which dropping, drove the ctors from
wife out he noticed the whole audience ris- |
ing together and rushing like herd of |
stamped cattle toward the door. In half a |
seconc the tn alter was n mass OF strug. ling |
humanity, shl iekir and howliug with lear,
Womnen were being trampled ION even be- |
fore Mr.. Tyres could turn around In a |
jify Mr.. Ayres took Mrs Ayres, and Butler
took Miss Ayres, and all rushed out of the !
box into the corridor and then to the passage |
leading to side door.
A FRIGHTFUL CRUSH.
The passage was nearly empty as Mr.
Ayres got there, but the rush Of desperate |
men began 30 quickly that the crowd pressed |
between Mr.. aud Mrs Ayres and butler and |
Miss Ayres. Mr.. ard Mrs Ayres were
pushed out before, the crowd like corks
ahead of water. Fuller and Miss Ayres
were caught q the crowd, swayed with it,
lifted up and set down, but gradually work
ing toward the door. Miss Ayres tells me
her feet did not once touch the floor or step
on the staircase leading to the door Her
mother, not moment before, had walked
without difficulty, hence it will be seen how
gan. At the, foot of the stairs q curtain
hung across the passage, and here a burly
Frenchman pushed the curtain aside to the
left, and had deliber ately teized miss Ayres
upted to twist her around or down so as
he could trample her out of his way. Mr..
Batter grabbed the staggering girl Just in
time time to save her from the feet of
protect her he could not stop the
brute, who pushed past him unpublished.
Then inallg ?; on: Of brealh, aad crushed and
exhausted, the whole party met again unin-
iured in the street. found the irty at the
Hotel Binda, sittiRg up ana talking oyer
their escape. Mr.. Ayres tells me he f els GER
tain that the fire burnel unuOtced Tong
time, as from his position in the box he could
see the whole flies fame really before the
alarm was given. v hen he reached the
sire tand before he founds cab the street was
already FILED with smoke. Before he had
driven block he looked back and saw the
front of the theater in flames. Fortunately
the par y got outside the door before the
werst crush began and hence escaped.
MILE. MERGUILLIER.
| saw Mile. Merguillier at her residence.
No. hue 81 Lazare;, at midnight. sur
rounded by friends, Excellent +. fist that
dreadful enes of the evening. "Ah, my
poor t1eater loved It so,' she exclaimed
tragically. 1T seemed purt of me. | was
in the scene with the choristsrs when the FIRE
SOulacroix, II faut savior, when he said to ]
me. raj ing his eyes, Look, we are afre;
save yOurself without delay left tho sta 10
in the midst of the scene, but, notwithstaod-
where already the people were springinE to I
their feet, climbing over he stalls an rush
ing rearward with cries Of terror. | hurried
10 me greenr0om, where hopsd to find com
entrance, but It was deserted and almst
dark, The loneliness terrified me, but Iried
to collect my thoughts. rem ambered III 4ta
corridor running parallel with Rue Mari
v,ux ended in an exit reserved for the
ministration.. In two seconds was face
to face with that door. 1t was fast. /
anOckeu Violently Win bleeding knuckles,
but wi bout answer. At that moment [ was
Pill d with terrible anguish. was caught
in trap; l was lost My retreat across the ,
stage sage was cut of felt that b,hnd me
" t9r un fo horrors; knew not whore
lull Of smoke, which closed me. Then in ;
,heer elpessness and despair, shrieked,
A voice without answered We will save y
your Inc door was burst in and / famed
game to in a cafe on the Rue MarivauK. !
Then adter ali tie time came home. / am ,
sure that many unfortunate p,Ople have !
oeen lost. On am so sorry" And roll q
"a her. great eyes heayenward, she looked I
M.yTAsKIN's STORY. |
had an interview with M. Taskin. who
v Is singing the Lo'bariO when the ERE broke q
)ut N, Taskin said: O
II said to the audience the moment L saw r
he hames, Don't move; it's nothing 4 T
then Sent to the room of NJ. CarvalhS. the
manager of the Opera Comique II was 40
not IN the ,passate way that thought
lhould roast to death, With a violent 4 b 4
i was there that was slightly wounded by
portion of a burning beaO that fell on nv
rm, having broken down the partition. &
reached Carvalho's room nearly Ruffo- L
ated, but found that the fremen had al b
e dy taken him away sate. l returne1 and a
Tide two fgurantes to get safely out Of the
Kit on the RueMarivaux. Think the number 0
ufocated will not DO known before several
les in the CALLER es." =
had this evening" an interview with M, q
.ictor Koning, the director of the The1ter of &
be Gymnase, asked him what average h
lne was required for a Paris audience In =.
ace OF hre to get out Of a theaters u
NJ. koning-Ab0ut twelve minutes, pro- b
ide there is noplpic. "
Correspon t-What points might occur y,
you of interest to the pub ic in c5anection u
18th this fire?
A BADLY ARRANGED THETRR.
Mr.. Konins-It is certain that the On m
om'qae is one of the worst arranged thea N
YRS in Paris in case OF fire, and had Il not M
een for the excellent arrangements Of the "
remen, ladders. steam pump, etc which 1
70 the same as those used in New York, the pi
lls Of lie would have been terrific. AT TIE os
lera gomique five or six different operas e.
e produced in succession. So that al the ~
emery Of there operas has 10 be stored ia In
q theateri making IL dangerous collection II
inntmm tory material -
C9frefpoi dent-Ale all the theateFs in 10
iIls provided With l. etalic curtains2
Mr., kOning--Yes
CoTrespon lent What fleet is likely to re- OF
rom tonights cat strophe?